No Virginia, there area no yellow antique tags

[Jim3inVirginia]

Just got back from the DMV, they couldn't issue me a yellow antique plate.



I mailed in my paperwork early August, finally got the plates in the mail. They are the ugly "porcelain" ones.



I want plates for a car that's thirty years old, not one hundred years old. Went to swap them out in person today, DMV agent checked the inventory, says they don't have any. Too bad customer service didn't tell me this when I called Richmond yesterday.

So if you're fixin' to put yellow antique plates on your car in Virginia, best check with your local office to see if they can give you what you want first.

 

[Derphound01]

I agree, those porcelain plates are fugly.

The Tennessee antique plate restrictions are asinine. No driving the car on any day that isn't a weekend or state holiday unless you're taking it in for service or repairs. When I bought mine, I put it on a standard-issue AA antique tag. I got pulled over twice and both times were going to or from the dealership for service. Got sick of that and decided to convert it to a standard plate, but I also wanted a period-correct tag.

I took a 1995 TN tag out of my collection and registered it as a vanity plate. I run the 1995 tag on the car with the current 2025 expiration sticker affixed to it and keep the current plate in the glovebox with the registration. I've never had any police issues with it and I can drive it any day of the year without restrictions.





Reading the VA requirements here, it looks like you can do the same thing I did and even keep the antique status. Get on eBay and find a set of antique plates you like and register them.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Richmond here, too. We should do an MN12 meet!

 

[XR7-4.6]

I always wondered about doing a vanity plate of an old plate and tagging the old plate, but I’m certain the cops wouldn’t be cool about it. I’ve still got the 90s plates from my mom’s old Jetta, her number changed when the first “Abe” plates got issues so I bet the number is still out of circulation.

Then again those old steel plates are way harder to bend to the curvature of the bumper as I do.

 

[Thunderstruck95]

The Michigan antique plate laws have eased a little. They recently allowed the cars to be driven with no restrictions in the month of August. Other than that, you are only supposed to drive to and from car shows.
The joke is that you just the the officer that there is a car show in whatever city your driving to, and he would have a hard time disputing you. There isn’t a lot of hassle that I’ve heard of.

 

[Jim3inVirginia]

Reading the VA requirements here, it looks like you can do the same thing I did and even keep the antique status. Get on eBay and find a set of antique plates you like and register them.

The last year Virginia put the year on the passenger vehicle plate was 1975 and the DMV guidance says registering as vintage doesn't apply to anything newer than 1973. Registering as an antique vehicle with antique plates but for everyday driving would require annual registration renewal and safety inspection fees, just like regular passenger vehicle plates. My motivation was to just pay $50 once for antique registration and no more fees. Can still drive it to events, for pleasure drives, and test drives. But probably shouldn't drive it to the beer store.

 

[Derphound01]

Can you find a set of the yellow Antique plates on eBay like the ones you posted and register them as permanents?

 

[Jim3inVirginia]

Virginia DMV allows applying for personalized antique plates and they have an on-line feature to check if a particular combination up to six characters is available. So personalizing to an yellow antique plate from ebay should work, presuming the character combination hasn't been reused. The DMV on-line app to check plate availability is fun to play with for a little while, but every combination I thought of appropriate for my '95 T-bird had already been taken. And I didn't realize at the time I ordered that buying a used plate and registering the vehicle to it would give me what I wanted in the absence of new yellow antique plates being available.

 

[Derphound01]

Tennessee has the same. It's how I confirmed my 1995 plate was available.

 

[Green T]

Here in WA you can bring your own plates too.

Collector Vehicle | Washington State Department of Licensing

dol.wa.gov

I've found a nice set and am anxiously awaiting until 2027 when my car is 30 years old and I can apply for the collector car plates; which is the same as antique plates in other states. Once you have collector car plates you don't have to pay the yearly fees anymore or have any tabs on the plate.

Per the WADOL:

Vehicles with these plates:

• Must have a current registration.
• Must be more than 30 years old.
• Be capable of operating on the highway.
• Be owned and operated as collector vehicles.
• Maybe driven:
  • To and from auto shows, circuses, parades, displays, special excursions, and antique car club meetings. I suppose I could always say I was going to a Birdcats meeting!
  • For testing purposes.
  • For the pleasure of others without compensation.
• May notbe used for:
  • Regular transportation in the manner of a fully licensed vehicle.
  • Commercial purposes or to carry a load.

 

[Green T]

Virginia DMV allows applying for personalized antique plates and they have an on-line feature to check if a particular combination up to six characters is available. So personalizing to an yellow antique plate from ebay should work, presuming the character combination hasn't been reused. The DMV on-line app to check plate availability is fun to play with for a little while, but every combination I thought of appropriate for my '95 T-bird had already been taken. And I didn't realize at the time I ordered that buying a used plate and registering the vehicle to it would give me what I wanted in the absence of new yellow antique plates being available.

Same system here. In fact I looked and "Green T" was available but I think I want the period correct plates.